10 Wrestlers Who Actually Asked To Drop The Title!

4. Ric Flair - NWA World Heavyweight Championship

Ric Flair was involved in some of the most controversial NWA World Heavyweight Championship matches in history when he took on local hero Jack Veneno in the Dominican Republic in 1982 in front of 14,000 fans. Veneno was the biggest draw and attraction the Republic had at the time. Ric Flair meanwhile was a phenomenal attraction as NWA Champion, defending the gold regularly in 60 minute iron mans night after night. Numbers vary in reports but Flair was paid a figure in the thousands and a large percentage of the gate to come wrestle Jack in the Dominican Republic.

Their first match resulted in a ‘phantom’/unrecognized title switch where Veneno passed out Flair in a sleeper hold after time had ran out in the match. What should have been recognized as a draw was Veneno being announced as the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion to appease the local crowd.

A second match was made involving the two after the success of the first and to clear up any confusion as to who the NWA Champion really was, with Flair scheduled to go over. He had Roddy Piper in his corner, with Piper supposed to make a run-in that would help Flair win. But when Piper went to interfere ringside guards pointed guns at his head.

Sensing there would be a riot if he won and worried he and Piper wouldn’t make it out alive if they screwed Veneno out of the championship, Flair there and then improvised and told Veneno ‘The Nature Boy’ needed to lose this one and Veneno needed to win. So Flair had Veneno roll him up with a small package for the win and an unauthorised title change that caused a headache of issues for the NWA.